Touch screens provide user interfaces through which a user enters input to a computing device by touching a screen at a selected location, with a stylus or with his finger.
Conventional touch screens are limited as to the types of user inputs that they can recognize. For example, conventional touch screens are unable to distinguish between a soft tap and a hard press. In some prior art embodiments users initially select an item on the screen, and then subsequently activate the selected item. However, because prior art touch screens do not distinguish between degrees of pressure, the user is required to remove his finger or stylus from the screen and activate his selection with a second tap. It would be advantageous to produce touch screens that distinguish between varying amounts of pressure applied to the screen so that a user can select an item by touching its location on the screen, and then activate the item by applying additional pressure to the touch location without having to first remove his finger or stylus from the screen.
In conventional touch screens the keys are often small relative to the touch area, especially in handheld devices. The keys are also often situated close together. This can make it difficult to determine which key is being pressed by the user. It would be advantageous to clearly indicate to the user which key the user has selected, and furthermore, to allow the user to accept or reject the selected key without first removing his finger or stylus from the screen in order to perform a second tap.
Current user interfaces are basic and often require navigation through a series of menus in order to perform a desired operation. The present invention presents a user interface that is versatile in providing the user with many options, while requiring only few selections to activate a desired function. To further enhance user experience, certain functions are performed automatically without requiring the user to enter a selection.